The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1887-07-16

heavens 1.-THE sky were opened, and he saw
the spirit of GoD descending like dove and
coming upon him." and ga voice out of the
heavens" was heard, ''saying, This is my
Son, the beloved, in whom delight" The
open heavens is scriptursl symbol of spir-
itual insight, or a knowledge of Divine things,
and is frequently employed ezekiel i. l;
Acts vi. 55; Revelation vi. 1; xix. III. "a
voice out of the heavens" is what God speaks
to the soul. A scene like the baptism of JE-
sUs would speak volumes to souls such as his
and Johns and open the heavens to their
glorified vision. While he was praying the
Holy Spirit with gentleness and grace" de-
scended upon him, and made him conscious
of the Divine favor and adoption. John also
was made conscious that the baptized one
was the one greater than himself of whom he
was the herald. There may have been some
real or visionary celestial phenomena COIN
cident with the prayer of JESUS after baptism
which is described, and which spoke to their
souls as a voice out of the heavens, applying
the very words of their Scriptures concern
ing the Messiah to JESUS who had just re-
ceived the baptism of John. 1t will be OBJ
served that the language of the heavenly
voice is quoted from Psalm ii. and Isaiah
xiii. /, and is the same that was spoken by
the voice out of the cloud on the Mount of
TRANSPORTATION. The declaration contained
in these Scriptural words is what the scene,
whatever it was, said to them,-the Hebrew
Bath-KoI Daughter of the SouLd or Voice..
The Bath Kol was the profound reflection
produced by any extraordinary event, par
ticularly sound, like thunder, and was re-
garded as something Divine, revelation
from GoD. 1t was not the marvellous phe-
nomenon, the earthquake or the fire, but the
impression left on the mind, that was the
still small voice of Cop. At his baptism JE
sus was made conscious of his Messiahship,
and as his amounting the Holy Spirit was
poured out upon him without measure.
So JESUS descended in the waters Of the
Jordan, and there the awful sign was given
that this was indeed he that should come"
From the cloven heaven streamed the Spirit
of COP in dove-like radiance that seemed
to hover over his head in lambent flame,
and the Bath-Kol, which to the dull, I'M
purged ear was but dull, inarticulate thun
der, spake in the voice of COP to the ears of
am well pleased. "-FarTor "Life of CHRIST"
This was spiritual and not an ocular Wis
ion. The prophet Ezekiel says (ch. l. ~, that
at such a time, at such place, and in such
company, ''the heavens were opened, and
saw visions of GoD." Repeating the state
ment in another form, he says Verse 81 that
"the word of the Lord came" unto him. AT
the baptism JESUS became conscious of the
inspiration of Cop, whose spirit descended
upon him with the gentleness and grace of
dove. And the approving voice of GoD spoke
to his soul, "Thou art My beloved Son, in
whom I am well pleased" That Voice will
speak peace to our soul, when we become to
Him truly as children, faithfully obedient to
His commands, and sincerely loving Him
and His great family,-in short, when we be-
come like The Beloved Son. We hope for
the time when we all shall thus become His
children.-Rev. @. L. Denorest, d. D., S. S.
Helper, January, 1889.